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Ireland for South African passport holders: Embassy visa

Your circumstances

Passport:
🇿🇦 South African
Lives in:
Not specified (general rule)
Going to:
🇮🇪 Ireland
Purpose:
Holiday

Route summary

Embassy visa

Irish short-stay (C) visa required

South African passport holders need an Irish visa before travelling to Ireland, applied for online and then submitted to an Irish visa office or embassy.

Conditions

  • Apply online (AVATS), then send documents to the visa office/embassy indicated.
  • A visa lets you travel to Ireland; the immigration officer at the border decides on entry and grants up to 90 days.

About this route

Route type
Embassy visa: you apply through an embassy, consulate or appointed visa centre.
Documents
Document list not published by the official source.
Fee
€60 (as published).
Processing
Processing time not published by the official source.

Next step

Steps not published by the official source — use the official link to start.

Official application pagevisas.inis.gov.ie ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Last checked 4 Oct 2026 against irishimmigration.ie · Irishimmigration.ie table (paginated, rendered) + waiver page (9 May 2025) + fee page (25 Feb 2025) read 2026-10-04

Documents

Document list not published by the official source.

Fees

Official government fee
€60
Visa-centre / service fee (not a government fee)
None stated by the official source
Notes from the source
EUR 60 single entry, EUR 100 multiple entry, EUR 25 transit; extra local service charges possible.

These notes may mention other charges that we have not yet separated into government and service fees. Visa-centre, service or other third-party charges are never official government fees.

Processing and validity

Processing time
Not published by the official source
Validity
Single or multiple entry
Maximum stay
Up to 90 days

How to apply: Irish short-stay (C) visa required

Where to apply

Where: Online (AVATS), then Irish visa office/embassy

Official application page: visas.inis.gov.ie ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Quick answers

Do South African passport holders need a visa for Ireland?

Irish short-stay (C) visa required. South African passport holders need an Irish visa before travelling to Ireland, applied for online and then submitted to an Irish visa office or embassy. Source: https://www.irishimmigration.ie/visa-non-visa-required-nationalities/

Business, work or just passing through?

The rules above are for a holiday: tourism and visiting family and friends. Business visits, paid work and transit are covered separately below.

Business visits to Ireland

Option 1
Embassy visaBusiness visit (meetings, conferences – not paid work)

Business visit: Irish short-stay (C) visa required

Short business visits (meetings, conferences, negotiations – not paid work) follow the same route as a holiday, because the official source covers business visits (Tourism, visiting, business (short stay)). South African passport holders need an Irish visa before travelling to Ireland, applied for online and then submitted to an Irish visa office or embassy.

Conditions

  • Apply online (AVATS), then send documents to the visa office/embassy indicated.
  • A visa lets you travel to Ireland; the immigration officer at the border decides on entry and grants up to 90 days.
Government fee
€60
EUR 60 single entry, EUR 100 multiple entry, EUR 25 transit; extra local service charges possible.
Processing
Not verified yet
Validity
Single or multiple entry
Max stay
Up to 90 days
Steps, documents & where to apply

How to apply

Steps not verified yet — follow the official source below.

Where: Online (AVATS), then Irish visa office/embassy

Official application page ↗

Documents checklist

Document list not verified yet — check the official source.

✓ Irishimmigration.ie table (paginated, rendered) + waiver page (9 May 2025) + fee page (25 Feb 2025) read 2026-10-04

Official wording

“Irish Immigration Service visa/non-visa required list: South Africa – visa required: Yes.”

Working in Ireland

Main work visa routes for Ireland

These are the main routes and what they require. Whether you qualify depends on your circumstances; the official page decides.

Critical Skills Employment Permit

For: Highly skilled jobs: occupations on the Critical Skills Occupations List, or any eligible job paying over €68,911

  • Job offer of at least 2 years from an employer trading in Ireland
  • Critical Skills Occupations List: at least €40,904 a year and a relevant degree (€36,848 for recent graduates)
  • Other eligible occupations: over €68,911 a year
Fees
€1,000 (90% refunded if refused)
Length
2-year job offer minimum
Longer term
Can then apply directly to the Department of Justice for Stamp 4 permission

Source: Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment – Critical Skills Employment Permit (enterprise.gov.ie).

What the source says

"Occupations with a minimum annual remuneration of €40,904 for a restricted number of strategically important occupations contained in the Critical Skills Occupations List" … "All occupations with a minimum annual remuneration of over €68,911" … "they are only issued in respect of a job offer that is at least a minimum of 2 years’ duration." … "€1,000. If an application is unsuccessful then 90% of the fee will be refunded." … "Critical Skills Employment Permit can apply directly to the Dept of Justice for a Stamp 4."

General Employment Permit

For: Jobs not on the ineligible occupations list, including job offers shorter than 2 years

  • Minimum annual pay generally €36,605 (lower for some occupations)
  • Labour Market Needs Test in most cases (job advertised first)
  • Employer criteria apply, including the 50:50 rule (see source)
Fees
€500 (up to 6 months) or €1,000 (6 to 24 months)
Length
Initially 2 years, renewable for up to 3 more years
Longer term
After 5 years holders are expected to apply for long-term residency

Source: Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment – General Employment Permit (enterprise.gov.ie).

What the source says

"Minimum annual remuneration - is generally €36,605." … "A Labour Market Needs Test is required in most cases" … "€500 for an employment permit of 6 months or less duration or €1,000 for an employment permit from 6 months up to 24 months duration." … "A General Employment Permit can be issued for an initial period of 2 years and can then be renewed for up to a further three years."

Checked 16 Oct 2026. Overview: DETE – Employment permits. Requirements, fees and thresholds change; confirm on the official page before applying.

Transit through Ireland

Option 1
Embassy visa Conditional eligibilityTransit (changing flights in Ireland)

Irish transit visa required (Terminal 2 same-day connections only)

South Africa is on the Irish Immigration Service's transit-visa list: to change flights in Ireland you need an Irish transit visa, applied for before travel. Dublin Airport: a transit visa only covers connections where both the arriving and onward international flight are in Terminal 2 between 04:00 and 20:00 on the same day; in all other cases you need permission to enter Ireland (an Irish entry visa if you are visa-required). All transit passengers present to an immigration officer.

Conditions

  • Dublin Airport: a transit visa only covers connections where both the arriving and onward international flight are in Terminal 2 between 04:00 and 20:00 on the same day; in all other cases you need permission to enter Ireland (an Irish entry visa if you are visa-required). All transit passengers present to an immigration officer.
Government fee
Fee not officially published
Processing
Not verified yet
Validity
Not verified yet
Max stay
Not verified yet
Steps, documents & where to apply

How to apply

Steps not verified yet — follow the official source below.

Where: Online (AVATS) / Irish embassy or visa office

Documents checklist

Document list not verified yet — check the official source.

✓ Checked on the live official page

Official wording

“ISD: 'Transit Visa Required Countries' (29): Afghanistan, Albania, Bolivia, Botswana, Cuba, Democratic Republic of Congo, Dominica, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia*, Georgia, Ghana, Honduras, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Lesotho, Moldova, Nauru, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Trinidad and Tobago, Vanuatu, Zimbabwe. 'If both your arrival flight and onward connecting flight are in Terminal 2 between the hours of 04:00 and 20:00 on the same day, you can use a transit visa in this case. In all other situations you will need permission to enter the State.'”

Alert me if this route changes

Get an email when we update the guidance for South African passport holders going to Ireland, after we've checked the change against the official source. Nothing else.

Tell me about changes to

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Before you go to Ireland

Customs cash limits and the scams official travel advice warns about in Ireland.

Cash you can bring in and take out

Bringing cash in
Declare cash of EUR 10,000 or more (or equivalent) when arriving from outside the EU.
Taking cash out
Declare cash of EUR 10,000 or more (or equivalent) when leaving to a country outside the EU.

Official source: taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu · Last checked 4 Oct 2026 · Details

Common tourist traps

  1. Bag-snatching and pickpocketing

    How it works: Most incidents are in larger cities.

    How to avoid it: Avoid carrying valuables and large amounts of cash.

  2. Car crime

    How it works: Vehicles are targeted.

    How to avoid it: Lock the car and use secure car parks.

  3. €10+ pints in Temple Bar

    How it works: Pubs in the Temple Bar area charge far more for a pint than pubs a few minutes' walk away.

    How to avoid it: Check prices before ordering, or drink in pubs outside the Temple Bar strip.

    From visitor reviews, not official Temple Bar, Dublin. Sources: reddit.com · extra.ie. Researched 23 Oct 2026; there is no official page to re-check, so this date is not updated automatically.

Emergency numbers in Ireland

  • Emergency 112 or 999

Other traps paraphrased from official travel advice: gov.uk · FCDO page updated 4 Sept 2026 · Last checked 2 Nov 2026.

Explore Ireland

Planning more than the paperwork? Our Ireland guide picks out places to visit, with a source for every tip.

Places to visit:
Cliffs of Moher · Book of Kells
Read the full Ireland guide

South African passport: of the 153 destinations with a rule verified from an official source, 51 visa-free, 13 visa on arrival, 31 eVisa or travel authorisation, 58 embassy visa.

Ireland: rules verified from an official source for 198 of 198 passports. Ireland guide and every passport →

Where else can South African passport holders travel? See every destination we cover →

Optional travel offers

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Plan your trip to Ireland

Verify with the embassy before you book. Visa rules change without notice. We link every rule to its official source and last checked it on 4 Oct 2026, but the embassy, official e-visa portal and your airline have the final say. MyVisaPort is not a visa agent and is not affiliated with any government.